Caelith glared at him again, doing her best to express her irritation without words.
Rhaegar only smiled, his fingers pressing again at her waist in quiet insistence.
A tremor ran through her entire body.
"Lord Ostenton…" her voice quivered despite herself, "in this life, I will love only him."
Outside, Lucas fell silent for a long while.
When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse—laden with the bitterness of wine and something deeper still.
"But a man like him… he will not belong to one alone. The Emperor will bestow others upon him, his father will arrange others… how could he ever remain with you alone?"
Rhaegar's eyes narrowed. He looked at Caelith as if searching her face for a hidden concern.
The unspoken question in his gaze was unmistakable.
Do you believe him? What would you say?
Caelith reached up and cupped his face in her hands.
